Betray the Innocent
by Werewolf of Suburbia
Summary: Azkaban fic, AU CoS. Full summ. inside. Harry was sent to Azkaban 2nd year for his Parsel, and his friends followed. Thrown in with Sirius he had followers on the outside, and they escape. Now they are wanted on 3 sides for a war they won't fight
1. The Howards equals the Fugitives

Yes, I know. I'm really pitiful aren't I? Another Harry story and I should be concentrating on more important things, like my Grammar and Language class. Well, I'm doing it anyway. So get used to it. This is my passion, and, in a weird sort of way, my release. Who needs a stress ball when writing about it makes everything fit so much better in context? AND it helps you sort out your feelings!

Disclaimer: After doing a search on because I was bored and none of the stories I liked had been updated, I realized how many Azkaban fics there were. Heck, I just read one about half an hour ago! So, being the unoriginal person that I am, I came up with my OWN Azkaban fic. And this is it! And I'm saying this only once because I apparently have to, I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! Thank you.

Summary: AU CoS. Harry's a dark wizard! Oh so everyone believes after the whole Parseltongue thing comes out. Thrown into a prison cell with innocent godfather Sirius—along with a host of others who stand by his side—Harry manages to escape, thanks to outside allies, along with Sirius and the others. But the Dark Lord is coming back, and Dumbledore and the Ministry are after them. Things are heating up as they are hunted by 3 different factions, for a war they refuse to participate in…..

_**VBOVBEJVNUVOIBEVOJFVBOIUBFVOFJDVBOFSDUVBOVIBDOV**_

You'd never find a happier family then the Howards. Nor a stranger one. They were entirely too large to be a normal nuclear family, and only a select handful were actually related to one another. But they were family nonetheless, and they loved each other like no other.

The eldest of the family was Maggie. Maggie was a wonderful person, kind but stern. A bit strict, but she never was extremely severe with any of her family. Maggie taught mythology at the local high school, where most of her kids attended.

Next in line was Bonnie and William. They were very loving and kind, although it was safe to watch out for Bonnie's temper. Bonnie was an excellent worker at the near-by day care center, and her husband was a very good insurance agent.

Luke and Nancy came directly after. They were very strict and mannerly, and taught their kids proper etiquette. Nancy stayed at home while Luke worked in a government office.

Steve and Rudolph were the very best of friends and co-taught gym class in the same high school Maggie worked. They also taught night classes at the local college on history, and were absolutely brilliant at their jobs. Steve was fun-loving and a great prankster, while Rudolph was his clam center, continually bringing him back down to earth. The only downside was that Rudolph would always disappear for a few days each month, for reason unknown.

Then there was Alan, who was the most strangest you ever saw. He didn't have a job per se, but he was always making citizens arrests. He was the most paranoid old man you ever did see, and he had an eye patch over one eye. Legend had it that he had lost it in some great battle, and the patch hid the socket hole where an eye once lay.

Simon was a chemist, and very good at his job to boot. The best, even, and he had a great attitude to match. The chemistry classes at the high school and college were always getting him to come over to their classes as a "guest speaker" and Simon was great with the young adults.

There followed was a very long list of kids. Most of whom belonged to Bonnie and William, and Luke and Nancy had one. Steve and Rudolph were the legal guardians of another, as appointed by his late parents, and the others had all been adopted into the family.

Bonnie and William had 7 children. The 3 eldest were Robert, Colin, and Peter, all of whom had jobs of their own. Robert was a banker, Charlie was an extremely talented veterinarian, and Peter worked an office job. The twins, Tobias and Keith, ran a joke shop on Main Street. A very successful one, too, it should be noted. The youngest two were still in school. Randy and his sister, Gwen, short for Genevieve, were a year apart, and very close to graduating, Randy doing so this year and Gwen the following the year after.

Luke and Nancy had one son, named Drake, who was the same age as Randy, and one of Randy's best friends. He went to the same school as Randy, and they were always arguing over something, but there was no real malice or anything in it. In fact, the others all thought it very entertaining, and enjoyed snickering helplessly as they watched.

Steve and Rudolph's charge was the son of two very well-liked people. Steve and Rudolph had been the bestest of friends with them, and so it came as no surprise when they were willed by them as their son's, Patrick's guardians. Patrick was also the same age as Randy and Drake, and their best friends. He was shy and unassuming, but give him a reason, and he could be your worse enemy. He hated only if given reason, and was a very kind boy.

Also adopted into the family had been the 3 boys' best friends, Heather, Brad, and Abigail. All 3 were the same age, and were very good friends with each other, Randy, Gwen, Patrick and Drake.

Abigail was home-schooled, as was Drake, Gwen, and Heather. The reason given by their public educated peers was that they had the same sickness that infected Rudolph, and it would get in the way of their schooling if they had gone to public high school. With home schooling, they could plan lessons around it, and nothing was missed or anything.

Most accepted this explanation, knowing full well that missing 3 days of school a month would really start effecting grades, so it made sense that they were home-schooled. They were socialized as everyone else, so where they learned their math and science wasn't really a concern.

The last in the family was a clumsy policewoman named Nadine, who was the bridge between the age gap between the youngest of the family and the youngest oldest, Steve and Rudolph and their own generation. The kids looked to her as a favored aunt, and the adults all saw her as a beautiful young lady as fun-loving as Steve, who was, in fact, her distant cousin.

Only Abigail wasn't as outgoing as her friends, and adopted siblings. She always seemed to be hiding something, even from them, and was very closed-off with anyone she did not know. She seemed almost afraid of everybody else, and was only closing off as a defense mechanism. Her friends noticed, and they always looked extremely sad and angry at something every time.

All were originally from England, although their various backgrounds varied, and had a slight accent. But they hadn't seen England since the graduating students had been in 8th grade, and had moved to America, where they had now made their home. Occasionally, you could see a bit of longing on their faces when they were dragged into a conversation about the UK, but they had stated time and again that they couldn't go home.

Their friends knew only an altered version as to the reason why. Wrongfully imprisoned for something they didn't do—Steve—and something they couldn't control—Patrick—and for sticking by their sides—most of the kids, the twins, Maggie, Rudolph, and Simon—they had been shoved into prison, only to escape a few months later. Fugitives couldn't go home—ever.

The others, while never sent to prison, could no longer home either. They would be considered dangerous criminals now, because when the others had escaped, they—who had been secretly on their side to start with—made their alliances known when they had gone with.

Besides that, Luke had gone back to England—incognito of course—and discovered that a war was brewing over there now to start with as a Hitler-type came into power. They had suspected that the war would come, and had vowed when they escaped that they would have nothing to do with it—even if those who had turned on them attempted to force them.

Very few outside of that knew the whole truth. The whole truth was a very strange thing, because they were very strange people. They were witches and wizards. Rudolph and those who were home-schooled were werewolves as well as witches and wizards. Rudolph had been one since he had been 7, Abigail since she was 3. The others had been turned after being thrown into prison, when they had been thrown into the same prison cell as Rudolph and had been bitten by him.

The Hitler-type was a Dark Lord who called himself Voldemort. Supposedly defeated by one-year-old Harry Potter when he mysteriously reflected the monster's Killing Curse back at him, he had not been totally killed. He lived, instead, as a sprit, of sorts, for 13 years, before coming back through a very dark ritual.

Harry Potter should have been called on to save the English Wizarding World, as their beloved savior, the Boy-Who-Lived. The Boy-Who-Lived had defeated You-Know-Who (They refused to call Voldemort by his name) once, he could do it again. Harry Potter should have been called on, would've been called on, if it hadn't been for one minor flaw.

Harry Potter was revealed to be a Parselmouth—a snake-speaker that was a mark of a Dark Wizard—in his 2nd year. He was arrested and shoved into Azkaban, along with Ron, Ginny, Fred and George Weasley, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zambini. They were thrown into the same cell as Sirius Black, betrayer of his best friends, Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter. All of them were innocent of the crimes they committed, and had never received the trail that was in their rights. The only one guilty of any of their "Crimes" was Remus, who'd been guilty of being a Dark Creature—a werewolf. And it wasn't something that could be helped.

The whole Wizarding World went into panic when they all escaped Azkaban—the miserable magic prison they had all been sentenced to, run by creatures that sucked all the happiness from you called dementors—something supposedly impossible. To all appearances they didn't even have outside help, about the only way you COULD get out, and a way not very effective.

However, all of them were very good at covering their tracks, as were the Weasleys, Malfoys, Alastor "Mad-eye" Moody, and Amber the orphaned werewolf, who'd helped them. Then, after escaping Azkaban, they went into hiding in England for a bit to allow the Azkaban prisoners time to recuperate and heal from their time with the dementors. Once they had recovered just enough, they fled to America, where they had been living ever since. And just in time too, as their hideout was attacked and destroyed only hours after their departure.

It didn't take long to realize that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, and even Percy Weasley, Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks had also disappeared, although it took a bit longer to figure that they had gone WITH the fugitives. They were declared Death Eaters—the name of Voldemort's followers—and criminals, and they were to be sentenced to Azkaban upon capture. The orphaned werewolf, Amber, had never been to Hogwarts—England's Magical school—or anywhere else for that matter, and went unnoticed.

Most of the adults were positive that they would be called back into service, regardless, because of several reasons. First, Lucius and Severus were both Death Eaters, although Severus had turned spy for Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the current leader of the "Light" side, and Voldemort's greatest enemy. Voldemort had always broken his followers out of prison when they were caught, and he would no doubt want his two best Death Eaters back by his side.

Remus and Amber—now with Hermione, Ginny, and Draco—were werewolves. The Dark creatures had allied themselves to Voldemort the first time around—most of them, at any rate—and it was to be expected that they would too, especially since being thrown into Azkaban. Sirius was a supposed death eater, and it was thought that he would go back to his "Master" too.

Harry was defiantly needed in the war. Upon arrival to the States, the adults had told the younger ones about the prophecy made by a teacher at Hogwarts, Sybil Trelawney. One that stated that Voldemort and Harry had to face off, because "Neither can live while the other survives". Only Dumbledore, who'd been there to hear Sybil give it, and a few select members of his Voldemort-resistance group, the Order of the Phoenix—most of whom had just arrived in the US—knew the prophecy. Voldemort knew the first half—thanks to Severus—that stated that the one to defeat the Dark Lord would be born as the Seventh Month (July) died to parents who had defied the Dark Lord 3 times. To find out if it would be Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom, they should look for the mark the Dark Lord left, signifying the other as his equal. A Mark given on Halloween 1981 to Harry Potter, in the shape of a lightening bolt on his forehead.

Dumbledore would no doubt use his influence in the Wizarding World—he defeated the last Dark Lord and was very powerful—to free Harry long enough to deal the final blow to Voldemort. Then the whole lot of them would either be killed or left to rot in Azkaban.

However, turning on Harry had been a bad decision on the Wizarding World's part, because Harry wasn't going to help them. Throwing Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy into prison was the wrong thing to do, because it enlightening them on how wrong their former beliefs that Pureblooded Wizards were superior to Muggles—non-magic folk—and Muggleborns,—witches and wizards born to muggle parents—and they were tainting the gene pool, were. They no longer held the same beliefs that Voldemort did, and no longer wanted to be ruthless killers like they had been during the first war. They weren't going back, not even for Voldemort.

None of the others were getting involved either. They were through with the English wizarding world, and through with Voldemort, Dumbledore, the Ministry of Magic, and the whole thing. They weren't getting involved and that was that. Let them stew in their own mess.

There were others who agreed with them, namely in the animal kingdom. Dumbledore's own pet phoenix, Fawkes, had left Dumbledore the minute he allowed the innocent Harry to be condemned to Azkaban. When they had escaped, Fawkes, helped out and bonded to Remus, and had remained with the Fugitives ever since.

Amber the werewolf had learned her own history while in the States, when she learned that her parents had been born and raised within the US borders. Both were essentially pure-blooded, although there were a couple of muggle/muggleborn lines mixed within. Her family bloodlines had been some of the most revered families in the Wizarding World, first in England and Ireland/Scotland, then in the States. The Ireland/Scotland line came from her father, as did the few muggle/muggleborn bloodlines, and the two English lines had come from her mother. Her muggle/Muggleborns ancestors had married into the English royal family, branching it out quite a bit. On her mother's side, Amber was also part Native American magic.

She also owned Hogwarts and half of the Bulgarian magic school, Durmstrang. Her many-times great grandfather on her father's side had a daughter that married into the founders' line after Godric Gryffindor's only daughter had married his estranged comrade's, Salazar Slytherin's, youngest son. Considering the fact that Salazar had married another Founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, that made the already powerful family that much more powerful. Add to the fact that, before Slytherin had gone spare on them for a few years, the 4 Founders agreed to give their good friends—and any heirs therein—full ownership of Hogwarts to prevent any in-fighting between their own heirs, Amber was already Hogwarts' Heir.

Going further down the line, the final Founder, Helga Hufflepuff, had her own heir, and he fell in love and married into one of the two family lines on her mother's side. When Amber's parents fell in love and got married, they—who were squibs with little to no knowledge on the magic world or their own heritage—were completely unaware that her father, heir to Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and her mother, heir to Hufflepuff, were making a solid blood heir to Hogwarts, who—as per the wishes of the Founder's joint will concerning their school—also owned it legally thanks to Amber's father being a blood heir to the family who had been friends with the Founders oh-so-long ago.

This, of course, also meant that Amber was a distant relation to Voldemort, whose mother had been a descendant of Salazar's eldest son, and the son who started the whole "Slytherin is evil" view. And the only Slytherin to believe that Muggles needed to die, and who's current half-heir (Voldemort was actually born a half-blood by the name Tom Marvolo Riddle) carried on his tradition.

It was quite fun for Amber and Harry to have private conversations in Parseltongue—a gift Amber inherited, but Harry gained unintentionally the night he rebounded Voldemort's curse—and drive the others insane when they wouldn't say what the conversation was about.

Amber had her own familiars, in the form of a couple of magical equines—a winged unicorn and a thestral, to be specific—and triplet Snowclouds, a rare cat so named because of it's elemental powers. Snowclouds rarely ever bonded with humans, and never in more then one per wizard. Amber's Snowclouds had been born wild, and would have continued living as such if Amber hadn't been on vacation with Maggie and Alan—Minerva and Alastor—and accidentally run into they and their mother. The Snowclouds, then just little baby kittens, had immediately bonded to the young werewolf, and their mother had also come back to bond with Harry. They were adorable cats, a mix between the magical versions of the muggle Snow and Clouded leopards.

They had been living happily in America—perfectly happy ignoring the inner turmoil running rampant amongst those they once thought friends and family—when they got 2 very surprising letters. Not they weren't surprising in their content or their senders, which could be nothing but expected by them. It was the fact that the letters had been sent at all. What's more, there was nothing that even remotely looked like any sort of tracking charm, either on the delivery bird (an owl and a raven) or the letters themselves.

They were from two very different people wanted what was essentially the same things.

The letters were from Albus Dumbledore and the Dark Lord Voldemort. And they both wanted the group to join their cause. If they didn't, there would be consequences.

However, it was time that Voldemort and Dumbledore were both told "NO!", and the fugitives were only too happy to do it.

They never should have sent Harry Potter and his friends and Azkaban. They were all going to suffer for it.

_**FHSIFGSODVBAVBAOIVUBSOVJBSAOVIBSA ;KSAHBVS;KAJVBD**_

I know it's probably not all that entertaining, but I needed to get the background story out f the way so I could proceed. So review please? Its 7 pages long!


	2. Letters from the Traitor and the Murdere

"_My dearest comrades,_

_How are you? Certainly you are well, not stuck in Azkaban as you should be, I hope? Oh, now I have started off on the wrong foot haven't I? And here I was, hoping to NOT do that. _

_Now, about this letter. I'm not entirely sure you're aware that the Dark Lord has risen again, just like I thought he would. Well, you are now, and I must admit to needing your help. Harry is the prophesied one to defeat Voldemort (Oh come on! It's only a name!), and you're all world-class fighters, or can become such. I have talked it over with Cornelius, and he agrees that we need you back. _

_Therefore, this letter. I am telling you that we are going to overlook your charges for the time being if you come back and promise yourself to the side of the Light. Cornelius even promised a trial for you, if you come back and fight against Voldemort._

_You have a week to think about this proposition. If we do not here from you in that time, we will assume you have turned down our offer, and shall hunt you down like the Death Eaters who now terrorize our world once more._

_Here's hoping to hear from you soon!_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_"

So said the letter written by the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The Howards looked at one another and then Simon snorted.

"Like we'd ever go back to that conniving bastard. Even he believed Pat evil, and he would know more about him and the Dark Lord then anybody else."

"I fully agree. I once thought of him as a friend, but now that I know the REAL Albus, I cannot ever willingly go back to his side." commented Alan.

"Moldywarts has some of his own interesting things to say." said Abigail, after looking over the letter sent by the Dark Lord.

His letter read as such:

"_To my fellow followers and their new family, _

_By now, I would assume that you have received a letter by the Headmaster, expressing his dearest wishes of you retuning to him, or joining him. Bah!_

_I offer you my own Mark, and hope you shall join me. Severus, Lucius, I do SO hope that you will soon rejoin my side, and fight with me, like you did in the first war. For the others, I hope you shall follow you new family and come join me. _

_Yes, even Potter can join me. Potter is powerful, and prophesied to defeat me. This is why I went after him to start with, and why his parents are now dead. I will understand if he has some problems being lead to my side, for he no doubt loves his parents very much. I cannot think he'd willingly join their murderer without a fight. _

_I will overlook this. I am also under the impression that Potter's last living family, and the last closest friends to his parents, are also amongst you. It has come to my attention that one of my own, the very one to betray the Potters to me, will be an issue of its own for them. This is also not a problem. Wormtail is a sniveling coward who only joined me out of fear for his own life. If he can betray his friends so easily, I cannot trust him. He has served his purpose. He has helped me regain a body. He is of no further use to me. _

_Therefore, to appease the remaining "Marauders", I offer Wormtail. To appease Potter, I offer my humble apologies as well as the excuse that I was power crazed at the time and they HAD gotten in my way one too many times. In retrospect, they were brilliant fighters, and I should've spent a bit more time trying to sway them to my side. _

_For the others, I also have offers. To the students, I offer lessons that cannot be learned, not even at Hogwarts. For those amongst you whole are cursed, as I am to understand, for records state that "Moony" is a werewolf who never got his own isolation cell while stuck in prison with you, I offer freedom from prejudice. If my main werewolf leader, Fenrir Greyback, is to a problem for any of you, I can take care of it._

_I also offer for the intelligence amongst you, rare tomes and books that cannot be found anywhere else. I have no doubt that several amongst your number would kill to get their hands on several of these, and if you shall join my side, they're all yours. _

_I'm even willing to go so far as to allow pranks to be played. I ask only that they can also be used in battle. _

_I have lots more I am willing to offer you, but this letter is surely enough for now. Assuming that the so-called "Light" has given you a time period to think things through, I am also giving you one. I will assume you are against me if I do not hear from you in 10 days time, and will allow actions to be taken against you as is appropriate. This goes double for Severus and Lucius, for they surely know what happens when they do not return to my side as I expect of them. _

_Descende Lucet! _

_Master Tom Riddle _

_Alias, Dark Lord Voldemort_"

Heather snorted this time. "How very like Moldy. Offer us what we would want most, but give an ultimatum. Either join Voldemort, and get a bunch of pretty gifts, or die."

"Albus didn't give us much more then that either." Maggie noted. "We either join him and have our so called "crimes" forgiven for the time being, or get caught and thrown into Azkaban again. Or so wonderful choices they are."

"Neither is really better then other, and we all either have to join the war we have no intention of joining or be disposed of." spat Steve.

"We should stay here for as long as possible. We know that one way or another, both sides will track us down, and attempt to get us to join them before deciding to get rid of us when we make our stand. Once they have a target on us, we move." commented Rudolph calmly.

"And I'll need everyone to help me research. We will not be able to stay here long without getting captured. As it is, Uncle Rudolph's plan will only help us evade them for a time or two. But that's okay. We might only need that long to figure out how to jumpstart us into somewhere else." called Abigail from where she was busily writing something. There was another letter—or what looked like a letter—sitting on the edge of her desk.

"Somewhere else?" echoed Luke.

"Like another dimension or world or something. Maybe we can figure out a way to live on the moon, I don't know. But, as I said, we cannot stay here forever, and we cannot, no matter how much we try, avoid capture by one or both sides."

Deciding a change of subject was required, Peter inquired, "What are you writing?"

"Letters. Wanna see 'em?" came the bright reply.

The others gathered and read the two letters, response letters to both Voldemort and Dumbledore. They were all grinning by the time they had finished the first. They were all-out beaming by the time they had finished the second.

"These are brilliant Abby! I love the way you have with words. If these don't put those two blowhards in their place and make our view on their silly little war glass-clear, then nothing will!" exclaimed Robert.

Abigail blushed and muttered a "Thanks".

"Why don't you get Flash Pat? He can send these to them lickety-split, and then we'll start researching Abby's idea." asked Nancy. Pat quickly obliged, and "Flash"—who was really Fawkes—disappeared. He came back only five minutes later.

"Now, to research!" called Gwen, heading towards their library. The others, laughing, followed behind.

_Idhinmcmfjfdjh ubhvncnrbueiruycecnruvtcycm8498954875mxereyuvcjjdifhfvncdjfhvbncd_

**/rises out of coffin/ I LIVVVVEEEEE!**

Ginny/Snorts/ Unfortunately

Remus: I thought you were a werewolf, not a vampire?

**/Snickers./ Climbs out of coffin I am. I just couldn't help myself**

McGonagall: Of course. Amber, child of clichés

**/Glares/ Do I have to hurt you?**

Molly: No. you have to end this chapter

**/nods/ Good point. They still have a whole nother chapter to read yet!**

**/looks out at readers/ So why haven't you gone on? Move it people! Hup to!**


	3. Reactions to the response: Screw you!

Albus Dumbledore was a very powerful person. At one point, he even had a pet phoenix, but that been several years ago. Currently, he was leader for the Light side in a war between bad wizards, Dark, and good wizards, Light. His greatest enemy at current was the Dark's leader, Tom Marvolo Riddle, who called himself the Dark Lord Voldemort. Well, if Voldemort was a Dark Lord, did that make him a Light Lord?

Then again, he wasn't the one to have Tom suffer a heavy setback back in 1981. No, that privilege lay on the shoulders of a young boy, then only 1 year old, named Harry Potter. To top everything off, a prophecy was given a year before that stated that Harry would be the one to bring the Dark Lord's downfall. So did this all add up to Harry being the Light Lord?

But how could it? To be a Light Lord, one would have to be a Light wizard, as the title implied. And Harry wasn't Light, was he? But if he was, then why could he speak Parseltongue, a mark of a Dark wizard? And why was he sent to Azkaban because of it?

No, thought Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter wasn't in any way, shape or form a Light Lord. Which would make him the Light Lord instead.

Still, that didn't exactly mean Harry wouldn't be averse to fighting with him against Voldemort. The man murdered his parents, for Merlin's sake, and Dumbledore was positive that that would drive Harry from Voldemort's side alone. Oh how wrong he was.

Harry wouldn't join Voldemort unless you dragged him, kicking and screaming literally, and forced him to. But just because he wasn't going to join Voldemort, didn't exactly mean he was going to fight with Albus. After all, Voldemort killed his parents. Albus Dumbledore wouldn't hear him out when his Parseltongue was discovered, and had him and his friends all sent to Azkaban.

Murdering one's parents would be enough to keep anyone from joining you. But throwing them into Hell on Earth without even giving them a chance to defend themselves? Well, you're not gaining any allies either; I really hate to tell you.

Albus Dumbledore did not think of this. All he thought about was the fact that they would be swayed by the fact that he was allowing them temporary innocent status, a trial, and the fact that he had no part in the murder of James and Lily Potter.

He had no clue that he was capable of being wrong. Oh so very wrong.

He had not really expected an answer to his proposal so soon. Of course, he also wasn't expecting it to come via Fawkes, his old pet phoenix. So, of course, he got both things, all in one go.

With a flash of fire, Fawkes burst into the room with an angry song that sent chills down Albus' spine. To make matters worse, Fawkes then accidentally-on-purpose clawed him in the face before landing before him and holding out an expectant leg.

Dumbledore gawked at his old companion for a few moments before removing the letter from the offered leg. Once free of his burden, Fawkes gave another angry trill and disappeared in a flash of fire. Albus had the feeling that that was the last he would ever see of his once beloved pet.

Looking at the letter, written in an unfamiliar script, he sighed and unfolded it. Given that Fawkes delivered it, and he knew for a fact that Fawkes was now Remus Lupin's phoenix, it had to be from the escapees. There were others involved, and he knew it, so one of them had probably written the note.

The letter read as such:

"_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, _

_You are insane; I hate to tell you this. I know people have talked about your sanity, or lack thereof, before but this, this takes the cake old man._

_You expect us to go running to you, sobbing, thanking you for procuring a trial that was initially in our rights, while exclaiming that OF COURSE we'll help you fight Moldywarts. Ain't happening you bastard. _

_Tell me something, old wise Headmaster. Let's say that, hypothetically, you find out that you can do something spectacular. Something nobody else can do, save one. However, you find a glitch in this wonderful new discovery. This talent is more often then not attributed to bad people. _

_So what do you do? Well, if you're a child, which let's just say that you are, you go to your parents for help and advice. Don't have any? Well that's okay. You have a trusted teacher, a mentor, which you can run to instead. You show them this ability. You plan on asking them if they have a clue on how you got it, and if you should use it, given its history and all. _

_Only you don't get the chance. Upon showing this talent to your mentor, they have you marked immediately as a bad person, when they know full well that you are anything but, have no proof otherwise, and get you imprisoned, simply because of a gift you did not know you have. And, to add insult to injury, they don't even give you a chance to defend yourself!_

_Let's fast forward a little. There is a war. Some evil baddie has come to power, and your mentor is now looking towards that so-called "Bad person" he had arrested and thrown into jail years ago. They suspect that there is no way their jailbird will join the opposition's side, despite his talents—your talents—because said opposition had his beloved murdered years before even your arrest. _

_Now imagine being in prison, and your mentor, the one who betrayed you so thoroughly, coming in and asking you to join his side against your beloved's murderer, in favor for a trial you SHOULD have gotten, but didn't, and a temporary innocent status. Tell me something, Headmaster, all things considered. Would you join your mentor, your betrayer, or would you just spit in his face?_

_Now, look back over that scenario again. Tell me, can you make any connections? No? Perhaps your long memory needs jogging. How about I bring up Harry Potter's second year, the year he, and everyone else, discovered that he was a Snake-speaker. You got the memory now? Good. Now look at that memory. Look at the little scenario I've just painted you. Perhaps you're seeing similarities? Good, I should hope so. Because that is EXACTLY what you did to Harry Potter. _

_Now, perhaps you can guess our answer to your little "Proposal". It ain't happening. I do not know what you would do in the situation painted above, but anybody who was sane would spit in their betrayer's face. But then again, you're NOT sane, are you?_

_No, we are not siding with Moldywarts. If you assumed that about us, then you would be right. We hate his guts and his views in general. But, just as we're not siding with He-who-must-have-hyphens, we're not siding with you either. _

_We see absolutely no reason to get involved at all. This is not our war. This is the war of the English Magical world, one we are no longer a part of. Some of us never were a part of it. _

_And don't get started about the prophecy Headmaster. Those things aren't set in stone anymore then the future they supposedly foresee is. All they really do is state the obvious. The Good guy will fight the Bad guy and one will come out victor. Or so says yours. _

_Look at it this way. The English magical world has done nothing for us. The Light side betrayed us, the Dark side didn't really want us, still doesn't, really, and the Ministry and all the others are blindly following either or, or their "Leader" who is an idiot who thinks only of his cushy job at the top of the ladder. _

_In this view, if the wizarding world has done nothing for us, betrayed us even, then what right have they to make us fight for them? What right have they to make us join forces with our betrayer, or our would-be murderer, when they turned their backs on us first? _

_Well, we say screw you. If you so easily dropped us, then we can just as easily turn our backs to you. Even if we had joined you, you would've had us Kissed or thrown back into Azkaban the minute Moldywarts was taken out anyway. And is that really anyway to treat us after all the fighting we did for you and your cause? I didn't think so._

_I hope we have reached an understanding Headmaster. We will never join a Traitor anymore then we would join a Murderer. Here's to hoping you rot in Hell!_

_Minerva McGonagall, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, Arthur, Molly, B ill, Charlie, Percival, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginerva Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zambini, and Amber Tyleen._"

Dumbledore sighed as he finished the letter. He wanted to get angry, but he could not. They had a point. He wouldn't join his betrayer's side, either.

"I have messed up royally. No wonder Fawkes left me when I had Harry condemned. Well, I will just have to find them and try and bring them back, playing by both their rules, and mine."

Cjvhuguffvcdnvjch vreinmnt iehnfvhyuhcyucnducjfycncmdcfuvgnmixfcguvnfcimdxifcu

Somewhere else, in a darkened room, sat Lord Voldemort. Surrounding him, faces hidden behind black hoods and white masks, stood his faithful followers, one of which had no idea that he was being offered as a gift in return for powerful new allies.

The red and gold phoenix that burst into being during their meeting was enough of a shock. The bird looked none to happy to be there, and truth be told, Voldemort wasn't all that happy to see it either. He recognized Fawkes, oh yes, but he did not know that Fawkes had long ago left Albus Dumbledore.

"What does the coot want bird?" he spat. Fawkes trilled angrily, and seemed to be correcting him. "Dumbledore doesn't own you?" A single negative trill. "Then who does?"

Fawkes offered a leg, and flashed out once the letter it bared was removed. Voldemort unfurled the letter, and checked the signature. Then he quickly dismissed his Death Eaters, telling them that the letter was far more important then anything else. They gladly left.

Voldemort's letter was such:

"_Tom Marvolo Riddle, AKA Voldemort, _

_You are correct in several of your statements. One, that Wormtail would be a problem for Padfoot and Moony. Two, that Harry would have issues with you for trying to kill his parents. Three, that Dumbledore did send a letter and he did give us a time period as well. Four, that Fenrir would prove a problem, as he bit Remus at age 7 for something his father did. However, there were some things you missed. _

_You missed that you also tried to kill Harry when you murdered his parents. You missed that you are against so-called "Mudbloods" and those that support them or have any connection to them whatsoever. On that note, you forget that half of us are already your enemy based on this fact. And you also missed that not all werewolves willingly joined your side. Many remained neutral in the last war._

_There are many conclusions one can draw from what I have already stated. The correct conclusion is that we will not join you, and neither is Lucius and Severus returning. No, we are not joining Dumbledore, but we aren't joining you either. _

_We have several very good reasons for this, if you would like to hear them out. One, we have no clue what would happen to us after the war. No doubt, given you and your personality, we would just be cast aside or killed, after having served our purpose. Two, we do not believe in your ideals, and we do not believe in mindless torture and killing of innocent people. Three, we want nothing to do with you or your followers in general. _

_Our biggest reason is reason four. We also explained this to Albus Dumbledore, so here it is. _

_This war is among magical people and creatures of the English wizarding world. Muggles are brought into it from time to time, and no doubt both you and Dumbledore are readying your allies in other European countries. But for the most part, it's British wizard against British wizard, English vampire against English vampire. _

_Therefore, we have no part in this war. We are no longer a part of that world, and one of our number never was a part of it to start with. The wizarding world turned on us in a split instant. No doubt you couldn't cast a lumos faster then they turned on us. Well, two can play at that game, as can many more. They do not want us. Some believe us to be Dark, for what we are, or what we can do, or who we've sided with. Others believe us "filthy" and think we are creating "impurities" in the bloodlines of the magical world. Three guesses as to which side you're on._

_That said, the wizarding world has no right over us. It certainly has no right to make us fight their war when we lose at its conclusion no matter which side we fight for. Therefore, we are not fighting this war. We are not siding with anybody. We fight for ourselves, and for each other, for that is the only thing we have worth fighting for. And nothing you or Dumbledore can offer us will ever convince us otherwise. _

_Well, glad that we got that all cleared up. I hope this letter has been informative. And I hope Lucifer has fun when you finally go to meet him. _

_Here's to hoping you rot in Hell, Riddle_

_Minerva McGonagall, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, Arthur, Molly, B ill, Charlie, Percival, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginerva Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zambini, and Amber Tyleen._"

Voldemort spent several days raging, before deciding to force them to fight his side. They WOULD be his lackeys, is he had anything to say about it.

Hgtjvkfldcfkgvjbkf,cd.lcf,kgjvbn,fcfkmjgibmkfodl,fckmgbj,fcijgmbkf,kjgmbkjmkf,kmcv

And in America, the Howards studied hard thorough their magical books, completely aware that they were being hunted, and planning on vanishing forever.

They had been totally serious when they had written those letters. This wasn't their war, and they refused to fight it for they who turned on them. They were no longer a part of that community, and would not partake in its activities.

The Howards were making their own way in life, and their former comrades could just hang themselves for all they cared.

They were leaving, and that was that.

Ujfhfjdwcihvjrodriwthiijiorthifncjvibhficjnwovihuwiojcfhgvfncekfvgbuhfencjioivhbfincj

**There! Now that I have finished this, please review and tell me what you think of the reactions of the two "Leaders"? And the letters?**

Flitwick: You DO know you have school tomorrow right? And that it's like midnight.

**I know, I know, I'm going. Just let me do a quick editing job, and post these, and I'll head for bed**.

Ron/Is out somewhere snogging Lavender/

Tom: Well, get to it then, or I'll hex you!

**I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh! **

**Werewolf of Suburbia**


End file.
